SEARCHES AND INTERROGATIONS

(Miss) Marytė Vitkūnaitė was hurrying to medical school on the morning of March 2, 1978. In the Town Hall Square stood a "Volga" No. 84-92 and next to it three men. Suddenly one ot them seized Vitkūnaitė by the arm and forced her into the car, two of the assailants sat on either side of her and stated they were security policemen. When Vitkūnaitė demanded to see their identification, one of the security agents pulled out a red booklet, but did not allow to see its contents. On the way, they were joined by another security police vehicle, in which sat three men and one woman. Upon arriving at (Miss) Vitkūnaitė's place, they took from her her apartment key, unlocked the room and crowded inside. Vitkūnaitė was ordered to sit on the sofa and not to move from the spot. Major Urbonas produced a search order: they had come to seize anti-Soviet literature and copying equipment. A typewriter stood on the table. Vitkūnaitė simply pointed to it and said "Take it."

The search was very thorough. The security agents inspected every scrap of paper, removed pictures from the walls and dis­mantled one of them to see whether it was used to hide any­thing, they took the sofa and pillows apart, took covers off comforters, looked through all the books, the refrigerator, looked through all the bookcases and the closet. They were overjoyed at finding issue No. 9 of Aušra (Dawn). They were even more elated at finding nine copies of 20 pages of issue No. 9 of Aušra.

The search report contained only the name of Major Urbonas, and the remaining six security agents were not named (The Code of Criminal Procedure requires that the report contain the names of all persons involved in a search). The security agents also brought witnesses: Aldona Pranscieniutė, residing in Kaunas, Linkuvos g. 19-1 and Kęstutis Šermukšnis, residing in Kaunas, Kalnų g. 18-1.

The search was started before 10:00 A.M. and concluded at 2:30 P.M.

In addition to the above-mentioned publications, the following items were confiscated during the search: the brochure "Problem of a Lithuanian Character" by J. Grinius, a manuscript entitled "Man and Nature", various personal notes, a tape casette, an "Optima" typewriter and other items.

After the search, Miss Vitkūnaitė was taken to the Kaunas KGB and interrogated until 10:00 P.M. Security agent Raudys suggested that she repent her crime and promised to help her get out of "trouble". Otherwise she would be charged under art. 68 of the Criminal Code. Raudys spared no effort in persuading Miss Vitkūnaitė that extremist priests had drawn her into their web, that peace was currently needed, but extremists with their brochures are promoting unrest in the nation, are fighting the Soviet govern­ment for the purpose of themselves entering the government. Miss Vitkūnaitė explained that she received the copy of Aušra from a woman in the churchyard of St. Anthony's church and, after reading it, had be become impressed by the truth it contained and began to make copies of it.

One security agent tried to recruit Vitkūnaitė as his agent.

The interrogators spoke at length about priests. They praised those who limit themselves to parish work, they raged against those who "disrupt peace." One security agent said: "We know that the fight is conducted by only one individual. We will arrest him and all brochures will stop; we will send him and all his collaborators far away."

The interrogator asked whether she was afraid of prison. "If I win at least one soul by suffering in prison, I will truly be happy" replied the prisoner.

In the evening Miss Vitkūnaitė was let to the cellar for the night. At the prisoner's request, her rosary was not confiscated. The cellar did not contain a bed, a mattress or a blanket.

The interrogation was resumed early the morning of March 3rd. Major Urbonas conducted the interrogation and drafted the report, all the while repeating that Vitkūnaitė was lying about everything. Interrogator Markevičius assailed the "criminal": "Can you deny that you know Monika, seminarian Ražukas, Angelė from Skiemo­nys?" Vitkūnaitė stated that she did not know these individuals.

In the afternoon, Markevičius and Urbonas took Vitkūnaitė to Vilnius. Urbonas announced that the chairman of the Security Com­mittee wished to speak to the prisoner. During the brief conversa­tion, the chairman (he did not give his name) stated that he was familiar with Vitkūnaitė's case which will be prosecuted, but would not arrest Marytė until the trial and she could therefore continue attending medical school. Marytė Vitkūnaitė was released at 6:00 P.M.

Petras Ražukas, a student at the Kaunas Seminary, was detained in the street on March 1, 1978 by two security agents and taken to the Kaunas KGB Department. There, Interrogator Urbonas presented a search order and in the presence of two witnesses conducted a search, during which the following were confiscated: issue No. 3 of Rūpintojėlis (The Suffering Christ,) some uncollated copies of that same Rūpintojėlis;several packages of typewriter paper, some carbon paper, a notebook and other items.

During the interrogation, the security agents threatened that he would have to serve a prison term tor distributing anti-Soviet publications. The prisoner was ordered to explain in writing where he had obtained the typewriter and Rūpintojėlis. One of the agents read a letter of complaint addressed to the security police from seminary students stating that seminarians P. Ražukas, Kastytis Krikščiūnas, Antanas Gražulis and others receive and read anti-Soviet publica­tions. Late that evening, seminarian Ražukas was taken to a cell and spent the night with criminals.

Interrogator Markevičius stated that Ražukas is being charged under the first part of art. 68 of the LSSR Criminal Code for dis­tributing the illegal publication Rūpintojėlis. After drafting a report, the security agents handed Ražukas a summons to come to security headquarters the following day and allowed him to return to the seminary.

On March 3rd, the seminarian was lectured at length that there is freedom of religion in Lithuania, that he fell into an "extremist" movement but, being still young, can mend his ways. If he does hot turn his back on the security police, they will help him and he may not be expelled from the Seminary.

They again threatened to place him in a cell with criminals, called him "a slippery eel", "a devious man", "a minnow", "a petty activist and great liar" and the like; they promised to summon him on Monday and interrogate him at length, he should therefore bring a parcel of food with him.

After the interrogation, the security agents drove seminarian Ražukas back to the seminary and released him.

In the afternoon of March 2nd, a security police vehicle drove up to the seminary and two security agents demanded that the Seminary Director allow Seminarian Vytautas Pūkas to leave for questioning. At KGB headquarters, the security agents stated that he can watch the deaconate ordination ceremonies in several days and then would have to leave the Seminary for home, but this would not happen if he speaks the truth. Pūkas was asked where he obtained the typewriter and how it came to be at Monika's. That evening, the seminarian was released to return to the seminary.

According to our latest information, seminarians P. Ražukas and V. Pūkas were expelled from the seminary on March 25th at the order of the Religious Affairs Commissioner.